For 4-year-olds! Introducing recommended indoor activities, group games, and crafts
At age four, children’s vocabulary grows, they start expressing their feelings and thoughts in words, and they can find their own favorite play activities and things they want to try.
This time, we’ve gathered play ideas that are perfect for the development of four-year-olds.
In addition to easy-to-implement indoor physical activities and group games, we also introduce many DIY toy-making ideas that let children freely enjoy expressing themselves while expanding their imagination.
We’ve collected many activities that, through playing with friends, help children experience the importance of following rules and the joy of sharing feelings.
Use these as a reference to find play ideas that match the children’s interests.
- [For 4-Year-Olds] A Collection of Indoor Play and Game Ideas That Get Everyone Excited
- [For 4-year-olds] Ideas for group games and craft activities that can be done indoors
- For 4-year-olds! A collection of indoor home play ideas that make time inside fun
- Craft activity ideas for 4-year-olds
- Age 4: Simple and Fun! Handmade Toy Ideas
- For 3-Year-Olds! Indoor & Outdoor Physical Play and Game Ideas
- Ideas for indoor activities, games, and group play that 5-year-olds enjoy
- Games and activities everyone can enjoy together. A collection of fun play ideas.
- [Childcare] Recommended for 3-year-olds! Play ideas everyone can enjoy
- [Age 5] Exciting and fun! A special feature on ideas for at-home play
- Exciting for 4-year-olds! A collection of sports day event ideas for preschoolers (middle class)
- [Childcare] Fun for October! Craft ideas recommended for 4-year-olds
- Recommended for 3-year-olds! Fun indoor activities and group game ideas
For 4-year-olds! Introducing recommended indoor activities, group games, and crafts (1–10)
windmill
Pinwheels that spin round and round in the wind are perfect for 4-year-olds who love moving toys.
You can also expand their interests by chatting as you play: “Have you seen something like this somewhere?” “It looks like a fan.” “What makes it move?” It’s great practice for using scissors and glue, too—cutting round blades from construction paper, sticking them on with glue, and snipping the straw.
Take them along on walks outside the preschool or hold them while running races—there are lots of ways to play and make new variations!
ball toss (traditional Japanese beanbag/ball-throwing game)
Ball toss (tamaire) is a game kids love! Since you can enjoy it indoors, they can move their bodies to the fullest even on rainy days.
Preparation is easy—just crumple newspaper into balls.
The motion of tossing them into the basket is perfect for developing fine motor skills.
If everyone works together to count how many balls were thrown in, it also becomes a fun way to practice numbers.
If the teacher moves the basket or changes its height, it’s sure to get even more exciting! Cleanup can be enjoyed together with the children, naturally fostering cooperation.
Add a few creative twists to spark their imagination, and have fun playing together!
Animal pretend play
Kids love animals, so pretend play where they become animals is always a big hit.
Teachers or parents can call out an animal, and the children simply imitate it—making for a very fun indoor activity.
Imitating the teacher or parent is, of course, fun too, but it’s also great to give prompts and play an animal gesture game.
For 4-year-olds! Introducing recommended indoor play, group games, and crafts (11–20)
Cup-and-ball toy made with paper cups
Kendama is said to help develop concentration, a sense of achievement, and even balance.
As an easy first step into kendama, how about a handmade version using paper cups and string? Since it’s made by stacking paper cups, it’s oversized—perfect for 4-year-olds.
Another plus is that you can draw any design you like with markers.
Each child’s uniquely personalized kendama will feel special because they made it themselves, which can encourage them to try again and again and take good care of their toy, creating a positive cycle.
Red Light, Green Light
Daruma-san ga Koronda is a game you can enjoy both indoors and outdoors.
Players are divided into “it” and “children.” First, the person who is “it” goes near a tree or wall, turns their back to the others, and chants “Daruma-san ga koronda.” While they’re chanting, the children move closer to “it,” but the moment the chant ends and “it” turns around, everyone must freeze perfectly still.
If anyone moves even a little, they’re out and get caught by “it.” It’s a game kids around preschool age and up can enjoy, and it also works well for mixed-age play: pair younger children with older ones, and let the older kids hold their hands and help them join in.
Spinning top made from a paper plate
Spinning tops have always been a popular pastime.
Why not enjoy making colorful tops with paper plates? It’s very simple: draw your favorite designs on a paper plate with crayons, then tape plastic bottle caps to the exact center on both the top and bottom.
Once you’re done, spin them together and have fun! You can even get everyone excited with challenges like “Whose top spins the longest?” Another great point is that you can experiment—adjust where you attach the caps, tweak the shape, and enjoy coming up with your own improvements.
Rolling Dodgeball
Let me introduce a safe recreational game that gets large groups excited: Rolling Dodgeball.
First, draw a large circle and split into an infield and an outfield.
The infield stands inside the circle, and the outfield positions themselves outside it.
One person in the outfield holds a ball, and at the signal to start, they roll the ball aiming at the infield.
The infield players try to avoid getting hit.
If you’re hit, you move to the outfield.
Even if you end up in the outfield, you can return to the infield if you hit someone with the ball.
When the game ends, the side with more players remaining wins.
